HAYS – Great Bend quarterback Dalton Miller delivered on his promise for a better second act.
The work of defensive lineman Elias Moreno and his teammates was equally impressive for the Panthers (2-0, 1-0 WAC).
Miller accounted for five touchdowns as the Panthers roared to a 39-0 lead en route to a 46-30 Western Athletic Conference football victory against rival Hays High.
Miller sprinted 70 yards on the Panthers’ first offensive play behind perfect blocking.
“Miller had a game for the ages,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “He became our all-time career leading tackler tonight, breaking Payton Mauler’s record.”
Miller, the reigning WAC Defensive Player of the Year, delivered a vintage play when he ripped the football from Hays quarterback Dylan Dreiling for a 20-yard touchdown return and a 25-0 lead. Panther linebacker Zach Seymour delivered the first hit on Dreiling.
“My arm was on the football and the ball moved, so I figured I’d take it,” Miller said. “I did that last year against Garden City.”
Miller completed a pair of touchdown passes to Peyton Duvall. He followed Bryce Brown's perfect block for a 13-yard touchdown for a 46-8 lead with 2:25 left in the third period.
“We played a lot better than last week, which is what we wanted,” Miller said. “Our offensive line played way better.”
The Panthers scored touchdowns on their first three drives. Duvall caught a 20-yard touchdown pass to cap a 51-yard scoring drive for a 13-0 lead.
Panther defenders Zach Seymour and Elias Moreno stuffed Hays halfback Hayden Brown for a 4-yard loss on fourth-down-and-1 at the Indians’ 31-yard line. Duvall beat the defense on a 13-yard scoring strike for a 19-0 lead.
“We have a great receiver in Alex Schremmer that they double-teamed,” Duvall said. “Things really opened for me tonight. I knew I had to step up. We scored 46 points because of our offensive line. Everything goes through them.”
Great Bend dialed long distance on a 90-yard scoring drive capped by Gage Fritz’s 7-yard touchdown run for a 32-0 lead. Miller jump started the drive on 20- and 47-yard dashes behind solid blocking.
“We executed our game plan really well offensively and defensively,” said Beck. “I saw so many players making plays on offense and defense. It was fun to see our offensive line take control and play with confidence.”
Moreno sparked a stout defensive effort led by Alex Olivas with eight tackles and seven stops and a fumble recovery by Joey Soupiset.
“We played really well, but we need to keep the gas on the pedal and not let up,” Moreno said. “I played an alright game, but there’s things to improve. We were ready for their running plays.”
Hays broke loose for four second-half scores after trailing 39-0. Halfback Hayden Brown scored two rushing touchdowns and Dreiling completed touchdown passes to Carson Keffer and Jordan Dale.
“I was proud of our defense because we played outstanding,” Beck said. “It’s a testament to these guys to control this thing after an emotional win.”
GB 13 19 14 0 —46
HH 0 0 8 22— 30
GB—Dalton Miller 70 run (Angel Razo kick)—10:25
GB—Peyton Duvall 20 pass from Miller (kick blocked)—4:51
GB—Duvall 13 pass from Miller (kick blocked)—11:57
GB—Miller 20 fumble return (run failed)—7:53
GB—Gage Fritz 7 run (Razo kick)—0:54
GB—Fritz 8 run (Razo kick)—6:54
HH—Hayden Brown 2 run (Gavin Meyers run)—5:11
GB—Miller 13 run (Razo kick)—2:25
HH—Carson Keffer 12 pass from Dreiling (Brown run)—10:27
HH—Brown 7 run (pass failed)—6:21
HH—Jordan Dale 30 pass from Dreiling (Dreiling run)—0:56
RUSHING—GB—43-253; Miller 11-170; Fritz 23-91; Jade Poe 5-6; 1-0; Schremmer 1-(-4); team 2-(-10); HH—41-117; Brown 23-81; Dreiling 13-49; Kanak 2-8; Moroni 2-1; team 1-(-22).
PASSING—GB—Miller 7-12-0, 59; HH—Dreiling 12-25-0, 186.
RECEIVING—GB—Duvall 2-33; Schremmer 4-17; Bryce Brown 1-9; HH—Kanak 5-104; Brown 4-33; Dale 1-30; Keller 1-12; Moroni 1-7.
